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NEWS
BRIEFS
SX Global , the Australian company spearheading the FIM World Supercross Championship ( WSX ), has announced that it is to partner with Dream Traxx to oversee the design , development , management and maintenance of tracks for FIM World Supercross Championship rounds - " unique enhancements and adjustments to conventional Supercross track layouts will emphasize safety for riders , while increasing competition and intensifying racing action ".
MV Agusta has appointed MV Agusta Malaysia Sdn Bhd as the sole and exclusive distributor of MV Agusta motorcycles , parts , merchandise and special parts in Malaysia - a newly formed subsidiary of AFY Mobility Sdn Bhd ( AMI ). To support the brand ' s competitiveness in Malaysia , all MV Agusta motorcycles distributed in the country will be completely assembled at the AMI assembly and training facility in Glenmarie , Shah Alam .
Steve Harris , the founder of Harris Performance in the UK , died in June aged 73 . His early work as a welder included F1 Lotus chassis building . He started his own business in 1972 , and with brother Lester and fellow director Steve Bayford set up Harris Performance , selling approximately 2,000 Harris Magnum frame kits in five versions , plus making numerous frames to order . Paying customers included world champion Barry Sheene . Harris was involved at world championship Grand Prix level , WSB and with a MotoGP project for Sauber Petronas . Recent work included chassis design for Royal Enfield singles and twins . In 2015 , Harris Performance was bought by Royal Enfield .
The news from the Isle of Man TT this summer was mostly of tragedy with five racer deaths recorded - the worst since 1989 - but in among the tragedy a reminder of why we are all drawn to racing like moths to light bulbs ! MCN reported that Dean Harrison ( DAO Racing Kawasaki ) is reported to have recorded a lap speed of 131.767 mph ( with a lap time of 17:10.817 ) in the third qualifying session for the TT on the iconic 37.3-mile public roads course .
Letter from Italy Elisabetta Quadrini , Newfren , Turin
Innovating our way out of the uncertainty
September was yet another month of instability , with rising prices and the uncertainty about the future making it impossible to look for strategies that can prove durable for more than just a few weeks at a time . The metal market is still showing a very strong upward trend , due to the high energy costs , which are having a strong impact on the metal industry . Cast furnaces , in particular , had already invested heavily in converting to the use of electricity instead of coal over the past few years by implementing
" uncertainty is the only thing that is certain "
decarbonisation requirements - but until reliance on coal or gas to generate electricity is firmly in the rear view mirror , pricing will continue to be unstable . As with metals , we here at Newfren , and everyone in the brakes components industry , are still also facing price increases on all the other materials we need . In some cases , these can change on a weekly basis . In order to cope with the ever-changing impact of energy , many of our suppliers are now showing their energy costs as a separate variable and sometimes having to update invoices with added supplemental costs monthly . While the need of the factories to add supplemental charges is understandable , we have to comment that on the distribution side of the finished product , and therefore as our customers are concerned , this policy is simply not practical . Therefore , manufacturers are being squeezed in the middle of this perfect storm with our sales price lists also suffering a significant reduction in ' shelf life ' and needing to be updated frequently . However , this cycle means that at least in part , manufacturers such as us are faced with having to absorb the price increases seen throughout the supply chain until new price lists can be updated . In the middle of this uncertainty , manufacturers ' day-to-day business also has to be about adjusting production and activities to incorporate the many regulation changes that are enacted to guarantee product quality and respect for the environment . Of course , we all support such initiatives in principle , but these activities impact both on the internal organisation in terms of skills and time to be dedicated , as well as on the financial aspect - doing this under the present circumstances means that for medium-sized companies like Newfren , every day is a challenge . In response to such a difficult situation , Newfren has therefore had to react to these challenges by taking many internal and external actions . In particular , we have implemented new specialised internal resources to optimise productivity . We have a new
R & D department that has acquired the skills of additional , experienced engineers who can ensure that new projects underway can proceed without suffering delays , so we can offer customers something of ever higher performance continuously - production engineering and manufacturing optimisation are at a premium these days . New emphasis has been invested in
starting up additional collaboration activities with companies that are already partners , so we can add to the knowledge base critical mass and production capacity that we have access to . The first results of these upgrades will be seen at EICMA ( Hall 22 / Stand I48 ) with the launch of a new range of products resulting from the development work we have carried out over the last two years . The new line will offer a unique feature that we invite you to come and discover in Milan or on our digital communication channels from 8th November . www . newfren . com
Science fact - as flown at Detroit
Described as a " Luxury Air Cruiser ", the Aerwins Technology Xturismo is said to be the first in a whole new class of personal transport - think Star Wars Storm Troopers on Speeders on the forest moon of Endor in ' Return of the Jedi ' meeting a drone style hoverbike , and that pretty much brings to mind the Xturismo . However , this is not science fiction . In fact , Aerwins , a Japanese manufacturer , demonstrated the Xturismo at the recent return of a reimagined Detroit auto show . As tech edges us ever closer to electric powered aviation and taxis , this machine is not in fact , as might be assumed , an EV , but a good old fashioned hydrocarbon burner - internal combustion with battery and autonomous control via an electric control system . The hoverbike is already on sale in Japan , and Shuhei Komatsu , founder and CEO of Aerwins , said plans were underway to sell a smaller version in the United States in 2023 . In order to make that happen , his company plans taking the SPAC route to a NASDAQ
listing that will value the business at $ 600m . The Xturismo is claimed to be able to fly for 40 minutes , with a maximum cruising range of 40 km , reaching speeds of up to 62 miles per hour ( 100 kph ). It weighs in at around 300 kg and measures 3.7 m long by 2.4 m wide and 1.5 m high . The payload is recommended not to exceed around 100 kg … and the price ? In a galaxy , far , far away , it is hoped to be able to sell it for $ 777,000 - although Komatsu has said that the company hopes to get the cost down to $ 50,000 for a smaller , pure electric model by 2025 .
28 INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 www . idnmag . com